Conventionally known video game apparatuses generally apply a method in which a controller is operated by a player's hand in order to operate a game executed by the game apparatus. For example, there is a controller which has a directional operation button arranged on the left side of a housing thereof, and also has a plurality of buttons arranged on the right side thereof. Generally, a player holds the controller with the player's both hands, presses the direction operation button with the player's left hand, and then presses any one of the plurality of buttons with the player's right hand.
There is also a case where a controller having a special shape is used for a game so as to realize a sense of assimilation between a content of the game and a playing state of the player. For example, a driving game apparatus is disclosed in which a controller having a steering wheel shape is used (e.g., Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 6-165880). In the game apparatus, the controller having the steering wheel shape is held by both hands of a player for steering control, whereby a sense of driving an automobile is provided to the player.
In the case of the game as disclosed in above-described patent document 1, the player needs to hold the controller with the player's hand(s) so as to operate the game regardless of the shape of the controller. However, in order to enhance a physical feeling of a player or reality of the game, a request for allowing the player to play a game without holding the controller with the player's hand is raised for some cases. For example, in the case of a jogging game, it is considered that the physical feeling of the player and the reality of the game can be improved when the player plays the game while performing a running behavior without holding anything with the player's hand compared to a case where the player plays the game with the controller held with the player's hand.
Therefore, certain example embodiments provide a game apparatus and a computer readable storage medium having a game program stored thereon which allow a player to enjoy a game without holding a controller with the player's hand.
Certain example embodiments may have the following features described herein. The reference numerals, additional explanations and the like in the parentheses indicate the correspondence with the embodiment described below in order to aid in understanding the embodiments and are not intended to limit, in any way, the scope of the present invention.
A first aspect is a computer readable storage medium having stored thereon a game program executed by a computer of a game apparatus (3) using an input device (7) which incorporates a motion sensor for detecting a motion of the input device and is worn on the body of a player, and displaying a player object moving along a predetermined route on a course, which is set in a virtual three-dimensional space, in accordance with motion data detected by the input device. The course includes at least one branch point at which the course branches off into a plurality of the routes. The game program causes the computer to function as motion data acquisition means (S11), moving speed setting means (S14, S18), branching direction setting means (S50), and player object moving means (S16). The motion data acquisition means successively acquires the motion data outputted by the motion sensor. The moving speed setting means sets a moving speed of the player object in accordance with the motion data acquired by the motion data acquisition means. The branching direction setting means sets a branching direction of the player object at the branch point on the course in accordance with the motion data acquired by the motion data acquisition means. The player object moving means causes the player object to move along the predetermined route on the course in accordance with the branching direction set by the branching direction setting means at the moving speed set by the moving speed setting means.
According to the first aspect, player can operate the player object without holding the input device with the player's hand. Accordingly, assimilation with and reality of a content of a game can be enhanced, and amusingness of the game can be increased.
In a second aspect based on the first aspect, the game program further causes the computer to function as non-player route setting means (S44) and non-player object moving means (S46). The non-player route setting means sets any one of the routes on the course as a non-player route along which a non-player object moves. The non-player object moving means causes the non-player object to move along the non-player route. The branching direction setting means further includes route setting means for setting a route, on which the player object is to move along when a predetermined condition is satisfied, as the non-player route.
According to the second aspect, it is possible to cause the player object to move in a predetermined branching direction at the branch point on the course.
In a third aspect based on the second aspect, the non-player object moving means locates the non-player object in the virtual three-dimensional space at a predetermined timing, and causes the non-player object to move along the non-player route.
According to the third aspect, the player can be informed of a timing when a course selection is possible.
In a fourth aspect based on the third aspect, the game program further causes the computer to function as branch point approach determination means for determining whether or not the player object has yet to arrive at or to pass through the branch point at which the course branches off and whether or not the player object exists in an area within a predetermined distance from the branch point. The non-player object moving means locates the non-player object at a position close to the player object when the player object is determined to exist in the area within the predetermined distance from the branch point.
According to the fourth aspect, since the non-player object does not appear until the player object approaches the branch point, it is possible to reduce a processing load.
In a fifth aspect based on the third aspect, the game program further causes the computer to function as non-player object elimination means for eliminating the non-player object, after the non-player object is located, when a distance between the non-player object and the player object becomes equal to or greater than a predetermined value.
According to the fifth aspect, after the non-player object appears, when a distance between the non-player object and the player object becomes far apart, the non-player object is eliminated. Therefore, the processing load can be reduced.
In a sixth aspect based on the third aspect, the non-player route setting means sets a plurality of different non-player routes. The non-player object moving means causes the non-player objects, respectively having various visual appearances, to respectively move along the different non-player routes which are set by the non-player route setting means.
According to the sixth aspect, various non-player objects can be caused to appear, and accordingly amusingness of the game can be increased.
In a seventh aspect based on the second aspect, the branching direction setting means further includes change condition determination means for determining whether or not a state, in which the distance between the player object and the non-player object in the virtual three-dimensional space is equal to or less than a predetermined distance, continues for a predetermined time period. The predetermined condition is that the change condition determination means determines the state continues for the predetermined time period.
According to the seventh aspect, the player can select a branching direction desired by the player at the branch point on the course without operating the input device with the player's hand. Accordingly, it is possible to prevent the reality of the game from being harmed compared to a case where a course selection is performed by hand operation.
In an eighth aspect based on the seventh aspect, the non-player object moving means locates the non-player object in the virtual three-dimensional space at a predetermined timing, and causes the non-player object to move along the non-player route.
According to the eighth aspect, the player can be informed of a timing when a course selection is possible.
In a ninth aspect based on the eighth aspect, the game program further causes the computer to function as branch point approach determination means for determining whether or not the player object has yet to arrive at or to pass through the branch point at which the course branches off and whether or not the player object exists in an area within a predetermined distance from the branch point. The non-player object moving means locates the non-player object at a position close to the player object when the player object is determined to exist in the area within the predetermined distance from the branch point.
According to the ninth aspect, since the non-player object does not appear until the player object approaches the branch point, it is possible to reduce the processing load.
In a tenth aspect based on the eighth aspect, the game program further causes the computer to function as non-player object elimination means (S48) for eliminating the non-player object, after the non-player object is located, when a distance between the non-player object and the player object becomes equal to or greater than a predetermined value.
According to the tenth aspect, after the non-player object appears, when the distance between the non-player object and the player object becomes far apart, the non-player object is eliminated. Therefore, the processing load can be reduced.
In an eleventh aspect based on the eighth aspect, the non-player route setting means sets a plurality of different non-player routes. The non-player object moving means causes the non-player objects, respectively having various visual appearances, to respectively move along the different non-player routes which are set by the non-player route setting means.
According to the eleventh aspect, various non-player objects can be caused to appear, and accordingly amusingness of the game can be increased.
In a twelfth aspect based on the seventh aspect, the game program further causes the computer to function as player route setting means for setting any one of the routes on the course as a player route along which the player object moves. The player route setting means changes the player route to the non-player route when a determination made by the change condition determination means is positive.
According to the twelfth aspect, the player can change the course to which the player is to move forward without operating the input device with the player's hand. Accordingly, it is possible to prevent the reality of the game from being harmed compared to a case where the course change is performed by the hand operation.
In a thirteenth aspect based on the twelfth aspect, the non-player object moving means locates the non-player object in the virtual three-dimensional space at a predetermined timing, and causes the non-player object to move along the non-player route.
According to the thirteenth aspect, the player can be informed of a timing when a course selection is possible.
In a fourteenth aspect based on the thirteenth aspect, the game program further causes the computer to function as branch point approach determination means (S42) for determining whether or not the player object has yet to arrive at or to pass through the branch point at which the course branches off and whether or not the player object exists in an area within a predetermined distance from the branch point. The non-player object moving means locates the non-player object at a position close to the player object when the player object is determined to exist in the area within the predetermined distance from the branch point.
According to the fourteenth aspect, since the non-player object does not appear until the player object approaches the branch point, it is possible to reduce the processing load.
In a fifteenth aspect based on the thirteenth aspect, the game program further causes the computer to function as non-player object elimination means (S48) for eliminating the non-player object, after the non-player object is located, when a distance between the non-player object and the player object becomes equal to or greater than a predetermined value.
According to the fifteenth aspect, after the non-player object appears, when the distance between the non-player object and the player object becomes far apart, the non-player object is eliminated. Therefore, the processing load can be reduced.
In a sixteenth aspect based on the thirteenth aspect, the non-player route setting means sets a plurality of different non-player routes. The non-player object moving means causes the non-player objects, respectively having various visual appearances, to respectively move along the different non-player routes which are set by the non-player route setting means.
According to the sixteenth aspect, various non-player objects can be caused to appear, and accordingly amusingness of the game can be increased.
In a seventeenth aspect based on the first aspect, the moving speed setting means sets the moving speed so as to increase in accordance with an increase in an oscillation frequency per unit time which is calculated based on the motion data.
In an eighteenth aspect based on the eleventh aspect, the motion sensor is an acceleration sensor. The moving speed setting means calculates the oscillation frequency per unit time which is calculated based on a magnitude of an acceleration in a gravity direction outputted from the acceleration sensor.
According to the seventeenth to eighteenth aspects, the moving speed of the player object can be changed depending on a degree of a strenuous movement performed by the player. Accordingly, the player can play the game without feeling a sense of incongruity.
A nineteenth aspect is a game apparatus using an input device (7) which incorporates a motion sensor for detecting a motion of the input device and is worn on the body of a player, and displaying a player object moving along a predetermined route on a course, which is set in a virtual three-dimensional space, in accordance with motion data detected by the input device. The course including at least one branch point at which the course branches off into a plurality of the routes. The game apparatus comprises motion data acquisition means (10), moving speed setting means (10), branching direction setting means (10), and player object moving means (10). The motion data acquisition means successively acquires the motion data outputted by the motion sensor. The moving speed setting means sets a moving speed of the player object in accordance with the motion data acquired by the motion data acquisition means. The branching direction setting means sets a branching direction of the player object at the branch point on the course in accordance with the motion data acquired by the motion data acquisition means. The player object moving means causes the player object to move along the predetermined route on the course in accordance with the branching direction set by the branching direction setting means at the moving speed set by the moving speed setting means.
According to the nineteenth aspect, the same effect as the first aspect can be attained.
According to certain example embodiments, it is possible to control the player object without causing the player to hold and control the input device with the player's hand.
These and other objects, features, aspects and advantages of certain example embodiments will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.